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Think You Know Mangoes?

YumSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:30:35 -0700

I don't know how I missed this earlier, but June is Mango Month. Not that I need an excuse to devour mangoes. I can't get enough of this juicy sweet fruit, and I'm convinced that anyone who doesn't like mangoes has simply never had a good one. In fact, I joked to PartySugar that the last question on this quiz should be "Do you like mangoes?" and that "yes" would be the only correct answer.

But I decided to be nice instead, so I've rounded up some fun facts about this ubiquitous, delicious fruit. Find out how much you know about mangoes!

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Frozen Yogurt Chains Show No Signs of Melting

YumSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:00:44 -0700

With Summer heating up, Nation's Restaurant News reports that many of frozen yogurt's top chains are gearing up for some rather chilly competition. This month, Pinkberry announced it has received an additional $9 million from investors, and plans to open 35 stores in the Middle East as well as expand domestically. Meanwhile, top competitor Red Mango has grand plans of its own - to launch 550 locations over the next five years, and at least 40 new domestic stores this year in states such as Texas.

Last week, New York-based frozen dessert chain Tasti-D-Lite signed a deal to open 35 new stores in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut over the next ten years. That's in addition to more than a dozen outposts in Nashville, TN, plus 40 more in southern Texas. Yet another competitor, Yogurt-land, plans to more than double in size before the end of the year.

While I did predict that custom blended fro-yo would be the next big trend, I think the industry may have gone a bit overboard. At a time when Starbucks has been forced to lower prices on coffee, do yogurt chains truly believe they can exponentially grow their empires on $5 cups of yogurt? Are you in agreement, or are you simply excited by the prospect of having more frozen yogurt options?

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What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

partysugar — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 09:30:04 -0700

Take a behind the scenes look at our Sex and the City Screening after party.
Enjoy the weekend with a batch of mango mojitos.
Prefer to make desserts rather than cocktails? How about creme brulee, ice cream sandwiches, or red, white, and blue cupcakes?
Speaking of dessert, it's National Candy Month! Celebrate with 10 weird flavored candies.
Learn the proper technique for cutting pineapple.
If you are planning a wedding, consider hosting an afterparty.
Finally, we want to know: What are your recipe deal breakers?

San Francisco's New Candy Store

YumSugar — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:23:18 -0700

June is almost over, but I couldn't let National Candy Month pass by without telling you guys about one of my favorite new places. In the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, Diane Campbell and her hubby Brian have opened a new shop simply called, "The Candy Store." Based on the name you'd assume that the store sells candy - which it does - but it's not like the kind of Sweet World type stores you see in the mall. If that's what you're envisioning, just stop right there: This place is better than that. It's a bright white space sprinkled with walls of clear candy jars, mountains of delicious chocolates, bins of crystal fruit slices and more.

Although it was a dreary gray day when I visited, the inside of The Candy Store was as bright and beautiful as a lovely spring morning - a lovely spring morning in candyland! To find out more about The Candy Store, including lots of pictures, read more

As a kid, owner Diane Campbell wasn't allowed candy and would sneak it from her mom. However like most vices, candy's something you end up craving the more you can't have it. So naturally, as an adult, Diane is now the proud owner of a beautiful store. The store is filled with handpicked items that really cover the candy gamut. From inexpensive candy lipsticks (50¢ each) to pricey imported chocolates, there is something for everyone. She even carries hard to find candy bars like Valomilk, Idaho Spuds, and Sky Bars, as well as the intriguingly flavored Zotter bars (plum bacon anyone?!). My personal favorite is the wide array of of by the pound (around $10-12 per pound) candies including mango chile gumballs, assorted gummi candies (including one that looks like an egg), peanut butter malt balls, green & black "olives" (which are candies that happen to look like olives), black licorice (which apparently sells like mad) and many, many more.

When I asked Diane what she liked best about being the neighborhood candy pusher, she earnestly gushed that it was the customers smiles.

"I'm going to be that candy store in people's memories. That's so freaking cool to me. To be part of that memory is thrilling."

Personally I think the thrilling part is to have this candy store in your memory. So if you're ever in San Francisco, be sure to stop by and tell Diane we said hello! If you're nice she might even hook you up with a sample.

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